MORIC - Chapter 32
Chapter 32: My Dear Stepdaughter.
Wen Xinghuo hadn't expected to be dragged here to do this.
Xi Zhoumeng rarely made requests of her, but it was an unavoidable fact that she had been under Xi Zhoumeng's care for many years.
This care wasn't charity; it could be understood as opportunities.
Moreover, Wen Xinghuo found it hard to explain. For instance, when Xi Shuang teased her about her relationship with Xi Zhoumeng, she didn't know how to tell others that Xi Zhoumeng treated her a bit like she was raising a child.
There was none of the romantic affection others assumed. Occasionally, Wen Xinghuo even felt she might be a seed that Xi Zhoumeng was waiting for.
A seed that would blossom into the result she desired.
"I've set the AI to record a video. Let's run through it one last time, and then we can rest."
As the group leader for the elective, everyone naturally listened when Xi Zhoumeng spoke.
Wen Xinghuo hadn't finished reading the script, but that didn't stop the loose-lipped Xi Shuang from saying, "You're a tool of a father being schemed against by the whole family."
Wen Xinghuo only needed to appear twice.
This time, the whole family was gathered at the table, with Xi Shuang watching the fun from off-stage.
Xi Zhoumeng sat beside her, playing her new wife—the second marriage kind.
On the right side of the square table sat a man and a woman, playing Wen Xinghuo's character's son and his fiancée.
They were two first-year Beta students, rumored to be in the ambiguous stage of a relationship.
On the left sat Chi Yueshan, playing Fu Xin, and Sheng Yangkui, playing Fu Shi.
One was a cold-natured, taciturn biological researcher.
The other was a frail, emotionally repressed young novelist.
Xi Shuang's review of the novel was: "Cheated on again and again, stolen again and again, must have it even in death."
Wen Xinghuo didn't understand at all.
Xi Zhoumeng just told her to sit there. However she ate at home was how she should act here.
It was just that the atmosphere was extremely tense.
The male head of the Fu family sat down with his new wife. The first to speak was the son, who greeted his stepmother and then introduced his childhood sweetheart and fiancée.
The stepmother was young and beautiful, with a gentle personality. She greeted the children one by one.
The AI camera angles were fully automated and would even capture micro-expressions.
For example, the stepmother, Qiu Mei, slightly raised an eyebrow when speaking to Fu Xin, and Fu Xin's leg was being entwined under the table.
Chi Yueshan tried her best to maintain a very cold expression, but in reality, the hairs on her arms were standing on end.
A simple brush would have been enough, and we're acting! There isn't a camera constantly filming under the table, so why is she doing this!
It's so itchy!!!
She pushed up her glasses, trying hard not to be affected.
In reality, her mind was running wild, thinking of the scene where Xi Zhoumeng had dressed her that day.
Sob sob sob, I'm an adult Omega too, maybe it's time I found some fun.
Chi Yueshan pursed her lips again. I can't possibly find it with my love rival...
The male head of the family introduced his children to his new wife one by one.
When it was Fu Shi's turn, he specifically mentioned, "Her health isn't very good, she usually doesn't like to go out."
Chi Yueshan sat next to Sheng Yangkui, thinking about the time Wen Xinghuo had walked her back to the dorm.
The height difference between their silhouettes was perfect; they looked compatible from any angle.
It wasn't like the "beauty and the beast" the forums were talking about at all.
Sheng Yangkui's lips were tightly pressed together. She stared at Wen Xinghuo and, after a long moment, nodded.
Turning to Xi Zhoumeng, she smiled. Fu Shi was the child most willing to accept reality. She called out, "Mother."
The male protagonist, Fu Nian, wanting to curry favor with his father for the inheritance, also called out quickly.
In the end, only Fu Xin was left.
This character had been gloomy since childhood, engrossed in research, and her family couldn't do anything about her.
【She stared at Qiu Mei for a long time, as if she wanted to see flowers bloom from her very bones.】
Chi Yueshan thought: This is what you call a secret affair, right?
She was numb to it all and called out, "Mother."
Xi Zhoumeng reached out and grasped her hand. "From now on, we're a family."
Chi Yueshan resisted the urge to stand up and nodded.
Outside, Xi Shuang was nodding like a pestle grinding garlic while posting on the forum—
"Drama Elective: Xi Zhoumeng and Duan Daizhen, two former actors from the Imperial Theater, are participating in the final assessment. Stay tuned!"
A crowd instantly gathered below the post.
-I think I heard about that!! But Xi Zhoumeng didn't participate last year! At their level, they should already have the credits, right!
-It feels like max-level players returning to the newbie village!
-Sigh, if I weren't a fourth-year this year, I'd want to go back to first year and take the drama class again. Teacher Chen is getting more and more beautiful, sob sob sob.
-Requesting a script collection!! Since they'll all be performed in the theater in the end, they surely won't be rehearsed all at once, right!
-Right now, I only know about Xi Zhoumeng's. The script she's performing is "The Yellow Rose"!
-Is the person above for real!! Damn, that one is intense! The last time I saw it was the movie version, but adding secondary genders made it lose some of its original flavor!
-If it's this script, I'm more concerned about who's playing the stepmother!!
...
Xi Shuang was replying to messages, while the rehearsal over there hadn't ended yet.
Wen Xinghuo had only a few lines in total. She was very stiff, but fortunately, her appearance fit the gender-bent original character, looking imposing and majestic.
"Xiao Shi, if you're free this weekend, go meet a friend of Dad's. He's about your age."
Wen Xinghuo said this while looking at Sheng Yangkui.
Sheng Yangkui resisted the urge to look at her, turning her face away, which suited the character.
She even coughed once. "I'm not going."
Wen Xinghuo slammed the table, and the two Betas flinched.
Chi Yueshan thought: She's so handsome.
Xi Zhoumeng took in Chi Yueshan's expression and thought: So infatuated.
After this scene ended, it was getting late. Wen Xinghuo and Xi Shuang still had to go to the mecha training room. While the AI robots were arriving at the venue, Xi Zhoumeng walked over to Wen Xinghuo.
"Help me out for the next few days?"
Wen Xinghuo nodded.
Xi Zhoumeng: "I'll call you again."
In her peripheral vision, Sheng Yangkui was just about to leave. The lady-in-waiting specifically assigned to her was already waiting at the door.
Xi Zhoumeng reached out and grabbed the little princess's arm. Sheng Yangkui was now standing between her and Wen Xinghuo.
Sheng Yangkui was startled. Xi Zhoumeng lowered her eyes. "My apologies."
She wasn't wearing her coat, and her dress looked exceptionally magnificent. Even though the fabric of Sheng Yangkui's clothes was more expensive, anyone could see that Xi Zhoumeng had a better aura.
Sheng Yangkui looked at this "variable" and still maintained a calm appearance.
"Junior, your dialogue with Xinghuo is still a bit stiff. Could you come a little earlier next time to practice more?"
Her tone was clearly different when addressing them. Chi Yueshan, who was drinking water on the side, became annoyed again.
One moment it's 'Junior,' the next it's 'Princess.' Such a suck-up.
Don't you have any sense of crisis?
What if Wen Xinghuo falls for her! Her status is so noble!!
Chi Yueshan thought for a moment. Sheng Yangkui stealing her love would be quite exciting, but the problem was, if that happened...
What about me??!
But on what grounds does Xi Zhoumeng completely disregard her? Is she that certain that Senior loves her so much!!
Chi Yueshan bit the straw of her cup, staring at the people over there.
But the person she cared about, despite looking fierce, was very gentle and was looking at Xi Zhoumeng with a helpless expression.
It was exactly the "she's making a scene, she's laughing" version described on the forums.
Damn it, damn it, damn it!
Sheng Yangkui's hair fell to her shoulders, still in a braid entwined with a silk ribbon, making her look even younger.
Her bangs were combed to the sides today, and a pale pink ornament hung between her eyebrows, swaying as she looked up.
She looked just like a doll in a display case.
She hummed in agreement, then glanced cautiously at Wen Xinghuo. "I will."
Wen Xinghuo also nodded.
"But you have to tell me in advance. I've been very busy lately."
"But Xi Shuang has scenes with the junior too, right? I'll come over with her."
As she said this, Wen Xinghuo looked up, only to find that Xi Shuang had, at some point, moved to stand beside Chi Yueshan.
It looked like she was trying to get Chi Yueshan to add something.
Wen Xinghuo: "Xi Shuang, let's go."
Xi Shuang didn't even raise her head. "Wait a sec, you guys chat a little longer."
Xi Zhoumeng went over.
But she didn't forget to be cautious, leaving her light-brain to continue recording.
【System: Are you sure?】
【Xi Zhoumeng: No.】
"Aiya, hurry up! Why is your light-brain lagging? Get a new one, Junior-chan~"
Xi Shuang's voice was exceptionally lively, like an annoying dog.
Chi Yueshan tapped the contact search box and selected "add."
"Is that good enough?"
Xi Zhoumeng asked, "What's good enough?"
Only then did Xi Shuang breathe a sigh of relief and wave her hand. "You probably don't know, but the third-place winner of the last kendo competition is my cousin."
Xi Zhoumeng hadn't bothered to remember that at all. "Who?"
Xi Shuang exclaimed dramatically, "Holy crap! Do you only have eyes for Wen Xinghuo? Wasn't this an event you guys were in charge of?"
Xi Zhoumeng glanced at her.
Xi Shuang rested a hand on Chi Yueshan's schoolbag. "Ling Xun, the little Alpha that Xiao Yueshan gave the award to."
Chi Yueshan didn't remember what the other person looked like either. Her only impressions of that day, aside from her own heat, were of Wen Xinghuo being intercepted.
Not to mention ending up living in Xi Zhoumeng's dorm.
There was really no need to remember these peripheral memories.
When Xi Shuang brought it up, she looked completely blank, and she still didn't understand why she had to add her contact information.
Xi Zhoumeng: "So, what are you two doing?"
She glanced at Chi Yueshan and found that this person was giggling foolishly again.
Xi Shuang patted her own jacket and said cheerfully, "My cousin said she wants to be friends with Junior Yueshan, so I just had the two kids add each other's contact info."
The condition was getting Wen Xinghuo's contact info.
After speaking, Xi Shuang tilted her head. "Why be hung up on just one A, right?"
She looked at Chi Yueshan, but the other person ignored her. She was turning off her light-brain's playback function, seemingly taking stock of something.
Xi Zhoumeng: "Your cousin? What's her name?"
Her tone wasn't good, but Xi Shuang didn't find it strange. After all, Xi Zhoumeng was moody and unpredictable—a pampered young lady.
She repeated, "Ling Xun, from the first-year Day Class. She even challenged Xinghuo in mecha training yesterday."
Xi Shuang couldn't stop laughing. "A crushing defeat. It was pathetic, she almost became a shut-in."
As the older cousin, Xi Shuang gloated while saying to Chi Yueshan, "Let's chat when you have time, 'kay?"
Chi Yueshan just said, "Oh."
Xi Shuang strode off to join Wen Xinghuo, who was waiting for her.
When Chi Yueshan looked up again, she found that everyone else in the lounge had left, leaving only her and Xi Zhoumeng.
It was nearly ten o'clock, and her light-brain still had several unread messages.
Xuan Ping said she was at Restaurant Two eating lamb chops and asked if she wanted any.
Chi Yueshan picked up her schoolbag and said to Xi Zhoumeng, "Then I'm leaving too."
Xi Zhoumeng's hand pressed down on her shoulder. "Wait a moment."
Chi Yueshan: "What is it? Isn't it over?"
Impatience was written all over her face.
Xi Zhoumeng: "Our scenes together aren't polished yet."
Chi Yueshan had planned to go back and snag a piece of lamb chop. Not expecting this, her face fell. "It's very late. Let's do it tomorrow."
Xi Zhoumeng: "I'd like to."
She sat down on the sofa again, adjusted its incline, and was now almost reclining.
Just like a lazybones.
"This play concerns my reputation."
Xi Zhoumeng closed her eyes, her voice sounding muffled. The rain outside had started to fall harder again.
【System: She's acting, isn't she!】
Xi Zhoumeng ignored it.
Chi Yueshan: "Your reputation?"
"I thought you were going to say it was for everyone's grades."
Xi Zhoumeng: "Am I that kind of person?"
Chi Yueshan's mouth twitched.
Indeed.
Her impression of Xi Zhoumeng was that she was very lazy and would let her grades slide, but not to the point of failing.
She seemed to have a built-in filter, making others remember her through a hazy halo of light.
So which one was the real her?
Chi Yueshan: "Is your reputation that important?"
Xi Zhoumeng: "Yes, it is. I did graduate first among the trainees at the Royal Theater."
That was several years ago, but Chi Yueshan had looked it up before and knew it was indeed very impressive.
She pursed her lips. "Then you should just call everyone to rehearse a few more times together."
Xi Zhoumeng: "Our scenes together are the finishing touch of the entire play."
Chi Yueshan couldn't refute that.
Even with many of the passionate scenes from the original work deleted, the relationship between Fu Xin and Qiu Mei was the type that had a very strong atmosphere when the two were together.
Xi Zhoumeng sighed. The sofa was soft and large. Lying on it, she resembled a blooming white rose.
Thinking of her own credits and grades, Chi Yueshan put her schoolbag aside and forced herself to say reluctantly, "Fine, another half hour of practice."
Unexpectedly, Xi Zhoumeng had no intention of getting up.
The sofa automatically adjusted downwards, as if turning into a small, green velvet bed.
Xi Zhoumeng opened her arms—
"Come, my dear stepdaughter."
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